Bert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It gives me great pleasure, in rising to speak on Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2015-2016 and related bills, to take this opportunity to share with the House some of the positive feedback from the Forde community following the 2015 federal budget. Over the course of the week subsequent to the budget we hosted a number of mobile offices and community forums around the electorate. There was a clear sense of understanding and confidence in the Australian government from the residents we spoke to. People understand that we were left with unsustainable debt and deficit from the previous Labor government, and they are looking to us as a coalition to come up with a budget that is measured and responsible to ensure a prosperous economic future for our country. This starts with the $5.5 billion Growing Jobs and Small Business package, which has been very well received by Forde's small business community.

I recently met with local business owner Paula Brand from Living with IT. She not only runs a small business but hosts regular north Gold Coast business meetings as well. She applauded the budget measure to cut the company tax rate by 1½ per cent to 28.5 per cent. She also said that the new accelerated depreciation measures that would allow small businesses to claim an immediate tax deduction for every asset valued up to $20,000 would improve cash flows for small businesses significantly.

A division having been called in the House of Representatives—

Sitting suspended from 16 : 47 to 17 : 01

I was speaking before about the importance of the budget to small business in the electorate of Forde and I was sharing some of the thoughts of Paula Brand from Living with IT, one of our very good small businesspeople. The instant asset write-off to $20,000 is a substantial increase over the previous $1,000 threshold and is a fantastic opportunity for small business in Forde to have a go and take the opportunity to expand their business. Paula also welcomed the removal of the fringe benefits tax on portable devices as this would encourage business to embrace technology. She said that it would encourage small technology businesses to take on the challenge of competing with bigger technology retailers and would improve spending in the industry.

The Growing Jobs and Small Business package will also encourage young people into work and provide incentives for business to hire older workers. Investing some $6.8 billion to establish Job Active will significantly improve the quality of service for job seekers and employers. In Forde, MAX Employment has been appointed the Work for the Dole coordinator for the Logan region. I look forward to seeing the fruits of our labours as we help job seekers gain valuable skills and search for permanent employment. I know that, in meeting and speaking with representatives from Max Employment, we have already seen some significant successes.

The Forde region has had its concerns with youth unemployment, and we see the new Job Active program helping job seekers not only to learn new skills but also to give something back to the community that supports them. Many young job seekers do not have practical work experience. I have often heard from our young people how difficult it can be to gain employment without experience. Job Active is about helping job seekers who have been out of the workforce for some time to gain valuable employable skills.

There are also incentives for employers. The government has committed a $1.2 billion pool for wage subsidies to support employers to provide job opportunities and assist job seekers into work. We have also committed $18 million over four years for around 6,000 job seekers to annually undertake valuable work experience of up to four weeks while they continue to receive income support. This is a great step forward as we seek to tackle youth unemployment. I encourage Forde's young people to take the initiative to seek the skills they need to find full-time work and positively contribute to their local community and their country. We want to see more people in work and continuing in work. These incentives will encourage local small businesses to take the initiative to expand their number of employees.

There are more than 18,000 families with school-age children in Forde and the $4.4 billion Jobs for Families package has been very well received across the community. The struggle for parents to return to work after having children has been a growing concern for many families. The childcare system has become more and more expensive under Labor, with fees increasing by more than 50 per cent between 2007 and 2013. I am pleased to say we are reforming the childcare assistance package to establish a new and simpler childcare subsidy from July 2017.

With the changes that have taken place in our society and economy over the years, having two parents in paid employment has become an increasingly important necessity for most families. This means we need to do more to help parents who want to work and parents who want to work more. I have spoken with many families over the years who have complained about the increasing cost of child care and the toll it has taken on the family budget. One mother told me how she had returned to work for the sake of an extra $100 a week after childcare expenses—but that they needed that extra hundred dollars just to get by.

The new Jobs for Families package will deliver a simpler, more affordable, more flexible and more accessible childcare system. Parents who are working, training, studying or undertaking other activities such as volunteering will be able to get the assistance they need. The majority of families in Forde accessing child care will be on average $30 a week better off. The Child Care Safety Net will also ensure children from lower income families will not be left behind, with support for the children and families who need it most. This is a tremendous win for families and we look forward to it being implemented over the coming years. As usual, it has taken a coalition government to actually sit down and listen to what Australian families need and to help them to achieve their priorities, goals and objectives.

Forde has more than 25,000 people receiving the age pension and more than 3,600 receiving Veterans' Affairs pension payments and benefits. Budget changes to the assets test for pensions mean the majority of pensioners in Forde, those with modest assets, will be on average $30 a fortnight better off. Following the community forums I held last week, I know that pensioners are pleased with these changes and have also welcomed the government's decision to scrap last year's budget measure to link pension increases to the CPI. Following the assets test changes, the majority of pensioners will either be better off or will have no change. This is a positive step forward in the government's plans for a fair and sustainable pension system.

I am very proud to say that much has already been achieved by this government for the people of Forde. From the 2015 budget, Forde received a portion of the government's 2015-16 budget funding, including $300 million for the preconstruction work for the Melbourne to Brisbane Inland Rail line and a further $10 million for the upgrade of exit 54 at Coomera. Funding for the Coomera Interchange was a major election commitment and I am pleased to see we have achieved this outcome. Construction is scheduled to start in July and I look forward to seeing the project completed and to being part of the celebrations when it officially opens in late 2016.

The government has also recommitted its $3 million in support to the Beenleigh Town Square project. I am happy to report that the community is increasingly looking forward to this project coming to completion. The Beenleigh Town Square is expected to open in September 2015 and will completely change the dynamic of the Beenleigh town centre. There is hope this redevelopment will encourage business investment in the region and give the residents of Beenleigh the pride in their town that it so rightly deserves. Two local councils in Forde will also receive a funding boost from the 2015 budget through Roads to Recovery. Logan City Council will receive some $4.7 million and Gold Coast City Council will receive $8.4 million. The government doubled the Roads to Recovery investment in the 2015-16 financial year. This investment epitomises the importance placed on building the infrastructure Australia needs from the local level up. Funding local councils means local needs will be met and Forde's two local councils will be able to deliver the reliable infrastructure their residents deserve. I have also ticked off on many other election promises. This year's federal budget has been instrumental in this process.

We have an issue in parts of the electorate with crime and antisocial behaviour. This has been a major topic of concern from community surveys. Surveillance plays an integral role in reducing crime and improving the safety of residents. This government has delivered $960,000 for 12 closed circuit CCTV cameras to address this issue. We further committed and funded $20,000 to the Beenleigh and Logan West State Emergency Service groups. This funding helped the SES purchase a number of GPS units and an education trailer. Our local SES branches have performed extraordinary work in the community and have helped so many people in times of crisis. In the past four years we have seen our community hit by floods, devastating storms and cyclonic depressions. Each and every time our SES have answered the call for assistance. It is fantastic to see that we have been able to answer their call for funding by supplying vital equipment so they can continue their work.

I recognise that, while much has already been achieved, there are still many local issues across Forde. I will continue to work hard on behalf of the community to continue to advocate for the funding to address vital projects for our region. I am pleased to commend the budget to the House.

See this speech in context